Climate Change Impact: The Rising Threat of Tropical Diseases in the Netherlands

The changing climate affects many aspects of our lives, but does it impact the diseases we contract? The concise answer is 'Yes.' In this article, Professor Grobusch, leading the Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine at Amsterdam UMC, and Professor Koopmans, overseeing the Viroscience department at Erasmus MC, share their insights.

"We anticipate more minor outbreaks of infectious diseases, currently classified as tropical," states Professor Grobusch, leading the Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine at Amsterdam UMC. He swiftly adds, "While the prospect of new tropical diseases may sound intriguing and is undoubtedly expected, it will not be our most pressing issue concerning climate change."

West Nile virus and malaria

"We have already documented cases of the West Nile virus in our country, and in the future, occurrences of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases are anticipated," Professor Grobusch notes. "Even malaria is a possibility, though not necessarily on a large scale, but as localized outbreaks."

Professor Koopmans, overseeing the Viroscience department at Erasmus MC, concurs: "Indeed, we observe small outbreaks, but establishing direct connections to climate change is challenging."

The risk of vector-borne diseases (transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks, for instance) is on the rise, according to Professor Koopmans. "For these infections, a combination of higher temperatures and increased humidity is crucial. Warming facilitates the life of these vectors, mosquitoes. However, drier summers are unfavorable for mosquitoes, making predictions challenging."

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can transmit various diseases, including West Nile virus, Dengue (breakbone fever), yellow fever, Zika, and malaria. Professor Koopmans emphasizes that not only diseases transmitted by mosquitoes pose a risk. She highlights the dangers of natural phenomena such as floods, which may become more frequent due to climate change.

"A broad category of infectious diseases can be transmitted through water and food. Overflowing sewers during extreme weather impact the environment," says Professor Koopmans. "This, for instance, increases the likelihood of food infections."

Recognizing Diseases

While the risk of these diseases is increasing, Professor Grobusch contends that significant outbreaks of diseases like dengue or West Nile virus can be prevented. It is crucial for general practitioners to promptly recognize symptoms of infectious diseases, which are still considered exotic, or more accurately, recognize them again, notes Professor Grobusch.

Professor Grobusch states, "Two or three generations ago, every general practitioner in Friesland would recognize malaria. The last local case dates back to 1958. It's only 50 years ago that the WHO no longer considered the Netherlands a malaria-endemic area."

Rising Sea Levels

Koopmans, with the Pandemic and Disaster Centre, explores the landscape changes due to climate change. "With a falling groundwater level and rising sea level, you observe a progressively broader strip of land along the coast becoming saline," she notes.

"Additionally, plans for more water buffer areas and wetlands to prevent floods are in place. With climate warming, these events will occur more frequently, providing conditions conducive to the thriving of, for instance, malaria mosquitoes."

Nevertheless, according to Professor Grobusch, fixating on the arrival of tropical diseases in the Netherlands is unwarranted. "This is not the current major problem, nor will it be our primary concern regarding climate change in the Netherlands. While we should not lose sleep over an increase in communicable diseases," advises the professor, "we have every reason to stay vigilant and contemplate strategies to counteract climate change."

Source: Read the original article (in Dutch) on the website of RTLnieuws.